Stuart Butler likes to stir the pot as host of the Destination Discourse podcast. And, since joining Visit Myrtle Beach as Chief Marketing Officer four years ago, he’s been shaking up the way that destination’s marketing lives and breathes to considerable success. Join us for a lively conversation spanning the future of search, consumer choice and destination websites, travel accessibility, launching a TV show on Peacock, publishing a children’s book and developing a line of merchandise to extend the Myrtle Beach lifestyle brand even further.

Oklahoma City has been one of the most exciting success stories in American urban redevelopment for over 30 years. And, on this episode of DMOU, we welcome Visit OKC’s Zac Craig to share how residents have repeatedly voted to tax themselves to enhance quality of life, how those same residents recently voted to substantially increase the Room Tax (for all the right reasons)…and how OKC landed two competitions in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, 1300 miles away. It’s an inspiring conversation. Join Us.

On this edition of DMOU, we welcome the inimitable Brad Dean back to the microphone to talk about how a CFO morphed into one of the most highly regarded Destination Leaders in the Americas. We discuss his time in Myrtle Beach and then heading up the insanely successful start-up of Discover Puerto Rico. And, we delve into his recent decision to transition to lead Explore St. Louis, where we have no doubt he’ll work his magic for a third time. Oh yeah, and a Bonus round in which he shares his experiences with Drake, Dale and Uma. Join us.

We’ve shared the DMOU mic with some pretty big DMOs (Boston, Detroit, New York City, Puerto Rico, etc.). But sometimes, it’s the smallest DMOs that share truths from which we can all learn. Jim Zaleski has worked in major markets and with major brands in his career…and today, he heads the DMO in Labette County KS, based in a town of 10,000 people. And, yet…in this fascinating episode, Jim shares how he runs his small town DMO like a million dollar operation. Cool concepts for big and small destinations…and everyone in between. Join us.

One of the biggest challenges facing the Destination Marketing sector over the past 25 years has been how to explain what we do and why to an often skeptic public. We've often used language and metrics that don’t resonate outside our industry as proof of our value when we’re the only ones that speak that language. That is about to change however, as Destination Canada has recently unveiled its Wealth & Wellbeing Index. On this break-through episode of DMOU, you’ll hear from Director of Strategic Planning Lisa Barrett about how the Index goes well beyond wealth generation to focus on six interconnected outcomes (the 6 Es)…and their hope that the Index goes global. Join us.

Telling the DMO story has never been more important than it is right now…and Visit the Palm Beaches’ Senior Director of Community Engagement and Advocacy Sergio Piedra joins us on this episode of DMOU to lay out their blueprint for community engagement. It’s a 3-step plan that combines intentional storytelling, community engagement and destination visioning…and it is a model for DMOs everywhere. Plus, in the Bonus Round, you’ll get not just one ghost story…but two. Join us.

On this episode of DMOU we are joined by Visit Lake Charles President & CEO Kyle Edmiston who counts the organizational culture be has nurtured within his DMO as one of his proudest accomplishments in a career in which he’s won about as many awards as one can. Kyle shares how tools like remote work and flex time have resulted in a rock solid team that stuck together through COVID and hurricanes…and how he measures progress in building that culture. Join us.

One of the best parts of the annual Board Leadership for Destinations Symposium is the Roundtable sessions where Board members discuss issues with their peers from around North America, individuals with whom they rarely, if ever, have a chance to interface. Last year, Visit Colorado Springs CEO Doug Price and his Board Chair took that concept to the next level, visiting neighboring DMOs to continue the CEO/Chair conversations on a wide range of governance and funding topics. On this episode of DMOU, Doug shares that experience along with how his DMO spearheaded over $2 billion in new asset development…and how they are aggressively addressing mobility issues in their destination. Join us.

Kicking off the New Year on DMOU, we have for you a fascinating conversation with Visit Charlottesville Albermarle CVB CEO Courtney Cacatian. Her recent book “The Future of Destination Organizations: A Guide to a Community-Based Welcome,” chronicles her path in helping the community acknowledge its past and begin building for the future. From spearheading the award-winning Black C’ville to becoming the initial model for Tourism for All, Courtney recounts the journey her DMO has taken in building a more welcoming environment for residents and visitors alike.

On this final episode of DMOU for 2024, we welcome our friend Beth Erickson to the microphone. The CEO of Visit Loudoun (DC’s Wine Country), Beth shares how her organization has met existential challenges (such as bugs that like grapes) while making the visitor economy visible in a region that previously didn’t see itself as a destination. Plus, in the Bonus Round, she shares how she became one of the most feared poker players in the DMO space. Join us.